Fold Latch Mechanism and Foldable Stroller

ABSTRACT

A collapsible stroller has a frame assembly that is reconfigurable between an in-use configuration and a collapsed configuration. The frame assembly has a fold latch on a side of the frame assembly and has two latch parts that are pivotally coupled to one another. A plunger is slidable within a cavity in one of the latch parts and has an end extendable from the cavity. A receiver in the other of the latch parts is positioned to receive the end of the plunger in the in-use configuration. A push arm of the frame assembly has a lower end that is connected to the one latch part. The push arm extends upward and rearward to a handle of the frame assembly. A front leg of the frame assembly has a lower end and extends upward and rearward to an upper end that is connected to the other of the latch parts. A support strut of the frame assembly has an upper end that is pivotally coupled to the one latch part at a pivot defining a pivot axis. The plunger has an elongate slot that is aligned with the pivot axis such that the pivot extends through the slot.

RELATED APPLICATION DATA

This patent is a division of and claims priority benefit of co-pendingU.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/486,843, filed on Jul. 14, 2006,which is a continuation of and claimed priority benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/397,197, filed on Mar. 27, 2003, which claimedpriority benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/374,824,filed on Apr. 24, 2002. The entire contents of each of these priorapplications are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to strollers for children, in particularstrollers that are easily folded to a stored, compact configuration.

A well-designed stroller of this type should be sturdy and balanced. Itshould afford the child passenger safe and comfortable transport. Theadult user should find the stroller easy to maneuver, easy to fold andunfold, and easy to handle when folded. It should have features thatmake it versatile and convenient. And it should be simple in design,rugged and reliable. Foldable strollers are known that address some ofthese criteria. There is room for improvement, however, in all of theseareas.

A typical folding stroller has wheels at four comers supporting anarticulated frame that has two spaced front legs, two spaced rear legs,a handle assembly, and fold latches that lock the frame in the erect(open) position and allow it to fold when the latches are released. Whenthe stroller is open the front and rear legs typically are steeplyangled with respect to the horizontal, with no lateral stiffeningstructure spanning the lower ends of the front and rear legs on eitherside of the stroller. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,068,284 and 6,155,740.

Fold latches for strollers are known which incorporate a plunger/springarrangement that slides or tracks within a conventional round tube. See,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,740. Other fold latches are known which havelatching components mounted externally of one or more conventional roundtubes. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,284. A fold latch that caninterface with tubing having a non-circular cross-section would beadvantageous.

Strollers are known which have compliant suspension components thatsomewhat soften the ride for the occupant in the stroller seat.Typically these suspension components are mounted at the wheel locationsto lessen the transmission of vibration and harshness to the frame.Better isolation from vibrations associated with rough terrain isdesirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect, the invention is a stroller frame having leftand right sides, each side comprising: an elongated bottom member; afront leg; a push arm; and a support strut. The bottom member has afront portion and a rear portion. The front leg is connected to thefront portion of the bottom member, and extends upwardly and rearwardlytherefrom, terminating in an upper end. The push arm has a lower end inproximity to the upper end of the front leg, and extends upwardly andrearwardly therefrom. The support strut is connected to and extendsupwardly from an intermediate portion of the bottom member, andterminates in an upper end in proximity to at least one of the upper endof the front leg and the lower end of the push arm.

According to another aspect, the invention is a stroller, foldablebetween an open position and a folded position, comprising a frame andfront and rear wheels supporting the frame. The frame has left and rightsides, each side comprising: an elongated bottom member; a front leg; apush arm; a support strut, wherein the front leg, the push arm, and thesupport strut pivot relative to each other when the stroller movesbetween the open position and the folded position. The bottom member hasa front portion in proximity to a front wheel, and a rear portion inproximity to a rear wheel. The front leg is pivoted to the front portionof the bottom member, extends upwardly and rearwardly therefrom when thestroller is in the open position, and terminates in an upper end. Thepush arm has a lower end in proximity to the upper end of the front leg,and extends upwardly and rearwardly therefrom when the stroller is inthe open position. The support strut is pivoted to an intermediateportion of the bottom member, extends upwardly therefrom when thestroller is in the open position, and terminates in an upper end inproximity to at least one of the upper end of the front leg and thelower end of the push arm.

The stroller thus has a novel frame geometry that provides a more directstructural tie between the front and the rear wheels. Instead of havingthe usual steeply inclined rear leg configuration, the two rear legs(also referred to herein as bottom members) are disposed at a muchsmaller angle to the horizontal and remain close to that shallow angleas the stroller is folded, with all four wheels on the ground. The rearleg assembly is pivotally linked to the front leg assembly, so that thefront leg assembly collapses onto the rear leg assembly when thestroller is folded.

Preferably the front legs and the rear legs have a similar profile sothat they generally nest when folded. The front and the rear legspreferably have oval or oblong cross-sections, which enhances theirvertical load strength.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment that incorporates the best mode for carrying out theinvention is described in detail below, purely by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a stroller according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the stroller of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the stroller;

FIG. 4 is a left side elevational view of the stroller;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the stroller frame;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through a suspension assembly according tothe invention taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a frame latch according to theinvention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the frame latch of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the frame latch taken along line 9-9 inFIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 10-10 in FIG.9;

FIGS. 11-13 are side elevational views of the stroller shown indifferent folding stages;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the stroller shown in a folded andupright storage configuration;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of the child tray according to the inventiontaken along line 15-15 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 16 is a left side elevational view of the child tray;

FIGS. 17-19 are vertical sectional perspective views through the childtray and latch therefor taken progressively from left to right;

FIG. 20 is a sectional view through a support strut taken along line20-20 in FIG. 2, showing the child car seat adapter according to theinvention;

FIG. 21 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the car seatadapter;

FIGS. 22-25 are partial perspective views of a child car seat on thestroller showing engagement by the car seat adapter;

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a part of the accessory bridgeaccording to the invention;

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of another part of the accessory bridge;

FIG. 28 is a left side elevational view of the accessory bridge;

FIG. 29 is a bottom plan view of the rear portion of the stroller;

FIG. 30 is a perspective view of a modified basket frame arrangement;

FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of a component of the basket framearrangement of FIG. 30; and

FIG. 32 is a longitudinal sectional view through the component of FIG.31.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a stroller according the invention comprises awheeled, foldable frame 100 that supports an adjustable child seat 10, afootrest 20, a parent console 30, a child tray 300 and an accessorybridge 500. The frame components preferably are made of tubularaluminum, but steel or other materials may be used provided they affordsufficient strength and rigidity. A basket (not shown) may also besupported on the frame, below the seat 10, as discussed below. Framefold latches 200 lock the frame in its open position, and selectivelyallow it to be folded to a closed, compact configuration. Canopy supportbars 42, 44 are adjustably attached to pivots 40 on the fold latches.For the sake of clarity, none of the soft goods associated with thestroller (e.g., canopy, seat cushions, basket) is shown in the figures.

Frame, Suspension and Basket

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, the stroller frame 100 comprises a front legassembly 110, a rear leg assembly 130, side support struts 150 and aU-shaped handle 180. Fold latches 200 at each side of the framepivotally link together the front leg assembly 110, the support struts150 and the handle 180, as described below.

The front leg assembly 110 comprises left and right tubular front legs112. The front legs are rigidly interconnected, e.g., by welding, by alower front cross-tube 114 and an intermediate cross-tube 116 (see FIG.5). A clevis-type hinge bracket 118 is riveted to the lower part of eachfront leg 112 to provide hinge points 120 for the rear leg assembly 130.The lower end 111 of each front leg 112 necks down and is joined, e.g.,by riveting or welding, to a vertical spindle 122. A duplex caster 124is mounted to each spindle 122 in a conventional manner. Alternatively,the casters 124 could be mounted on spindles that are fixed to the frontportion of the rear leg assembly. The upper end of each front leg necksdown and is anchored to the upper part 202 of a respective fold latch200 (see FIG. 7). The details of this anchorage are described below.

Rear leg assembly 130 comprises left and right tubular rear legs (bottommembers) 132. These are rigidly interconnected at their rear ends, e.g.,by welding, by a rear cross-tube 134. The cross-tube serves as an axlesupport for rear wheels 136. The front ends of rear legs 132 are rivetedto hinge brackets 118 at hinge points 120, near the lower ends of frontlegs 112. This arrangement results in the rear legs being disposed at ashallow angle to the horizontal.

Front legs 112 and rear legs 132 preferably have cross-sections that areoblong or oval, e.g., elliptical. Such sections have a stronger sectionmodulus as compared to round tubing having the same cross-sectionalarea. This configuration enhances vertical load strength, which isespecially important for the rear legs given their shallow angle. Italso gives the stroller frame profile a more robust appearance. It isalso preferred that the front legs and the rear legs be about the samelength, so that they fold compactly onto each other (see FIGS. 12, 13).

The rear legs 132 preferably are bowed upwardly, i.e., convex side up,as depicted in the figures. An upwardly bowed leg provides greaterground clearance between the front and the rear wheels than a straightleg. The upward bow facilitates the traverse of curbs and other highobstacles. Although the front legs could be straight, they preferablyare curved, as depicted. When both the front legs and the rear legs arecurved, it is preferred that they be substantially similar, i.e., haveroughly the same curvature, as depicted, which enables them to nest morecompactly when folded (see FIGS. 12, 13).

The hinge arrangement 118, 120 that joins the front leg assembly to therear leg assembly places the front legs 112 in line with the rear legs132. Alternatively the leg assemblies could be configured and hingedsuch that the front legs and the rear legs are mounted side-by-side,rather than in line.

Each support strut 150 is in the form of a tubular member pivotallyconnected (e.g., riveted) at its upper end 152 to the lower part 204 offold latch 200, at pivot point 206 (see FIG. 7). The lower end 154 ofthe support strut may be pivotally connected, e.g., by a rivet 156through holes 157, directly to its respective rear leg 132, but it ispreferred to interpose a compliant suspension 160 that helps to isolatethe seat 10 from the ground and soften the ride over rough terrain.Irrespective of whether a suspension is used, the location of thepivotal connection point 158 on the rear leg 132 preferably is chosensuch that the frame components fold together compactly. The supportstruts 150, instead of being pivoted to the outboard faces of the legs112, 132 as depicted in the figures, instead could be pivoted to theinboard faces of the legs 112, 132, or could be pivoted through hingebrackets so that they are in line with the legs.

Referring to FIG. 6, the suspension 160 comprises a housing 162 havingan upper opening 163, slots 164, each surrounded by a shoulder 166, anapertured mounting boss 168, and a rivet hole 170 aligned with boss 168.Support strut tube 150 fits slidably within housing 162. A helicalcompression spring 172 is located in the bottom of housing 162, andabuts the lower end of the strut tube 150. Rivet 156 passes through hole170 and mounting boss 168 to pivotally secure the housing 162 to therear leg 132. The lower end of the spring 172 can rest on rivet 156, asdepicted, or it can rest on a lug or other protrusion within the housing(not shown).

A rivet 174 passing through holes 157 in the strut tube and slots 164 inthe housing retains the strut tube 150 in the housing, and limitssuspension travel. The heads of the rivet 174 are surrounded by theshoulders 166, and the ends of the slots 164 define stops which limitmovement of the rivet 174 and, hence, the strut tube 150 relative tohousing 162. The spring rate is selected to allow spring 172 to compresssomewhat under normal loading and use conditions, preferably withoutquite reaching the limit of suspension travel. External ribs 176 on thehousing provide anchor points for a bellows-type cover 178 that keepsdirt and dust from entering the housing through the slots 164.

A U-shaped basket frame 102 is adapted to support a utility basketbeneath the seat 10. The front ends 104 of the basket frame arepivotally attached to the rear legs at rivet points 105 (see FIG. 4).Each side leg 106 of the basket frame rests on a protrusion 153 on theinboard face of a respective support strut 150. When the stroller isfolded, the protrusions rotate downwardly with the support struts,moving along the basket frame legs 106 and allowing the basket frame todrop and nest between the front and rear leg assemblies.

An alternative basket frame arrangement, illustrated in FIGS. 30-32, hasa basket release mechanism that allows the user to drop the basket frame(and its flexible basket) when the stroller is open to afford easieraccess to the interior of the basket. In this “easy access” arrangement,basket frame 602 is pivoted at its front ends 604 to rear legs 132 as inthe first embodiment. However, the side legs 606 of this basket frameare more closely spaced, at least in the vicinity of support struts 150,so that the side legs themselves fit between the protrusions 153 onsupport struts 150 and would drop below the protrusions if not otherwisesupported. Support for the side legs 606 instead is provided by asliding collar 610 on each side leg 606 at the location of the supportstrut 150. The sliding collars 610 are wide enough to substantially fillthe spaces between the side legs 606 and the support struts 150, so thatthe sliding collars themselves engage the protrusions 153 and thussupport the side legs 606.

Referring to FIGS. 31 and 32, sliding collar 610 is hollow and has alongitudinal slot 612 on each side thereof A rivet 614 fixed to the sideleg 606 passes through the slots 612 to guide and limit movement of thecollar. A compression spring 616 is captured between the rivet 614 andthe end of the collar 610 to bias the collar forwardly. The front end ofthe collar 610 has a ramped face 617. A curved seat 618 on the bottom ofthe collar 610 engages the protrusion 153 on support strut 150 when thecollar 610 is in its forward (first) position. A tab 620 at the rear ofcollar 610 has a hole 622. A U-shaped wire handle 624 engages holes 622and extends to the rear of the stroller.

In operation, a rearward pull on handle 624 pulls sliding collars 610rearwardly to a second position in which their front ends clearprotrusions 153 (dashed line position shown in FIG. 31). This allows thebasket frame 602 to drop to an “open” position, affording easier accessto the interior of the soft basket (not shown). An upward pull on therear of basket frame 602 brings the ramped front faces 617 of collars610 into engagement with protrusions 153. Tis forces the collarsrearwardly until they clear the protrusions 153, at which point springs616 return them to their forward (first) positions, supported onprotrusions 153, with the basket frame 602 in a “closed” position.

Returning to FIGS. 1-5, U-shaped handle 180 is a hollow tubular member,preferably of round cross-section, that comprises an upper handgripportion 182 and two push arms 184, each anchored to the lower part 204of a respective fold latch 200 (see FIG. 7). The push arms preferablyare about the same length as the front legs 112 and the rear legs 132 sothat they fold compactly onto each other (see FIGS. 12, 13). Concealedactuating cables extend from the latches 200 through the push arms tothe handgrip portion 182. Latch release (for folding) is accomplished bytwisting an actuator in the form of a rotatable grip 186, which pullsthe cables to release the latches, as described below. Details of thecable-operated, one-hand release mechanism are disclosed in commonlyowned U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,284, which is incorporated herein byreference.

Referring to FIG. 7, the two parts 202, 204 of each fold latch arehinged together by a rivet along a pivot axis 208. On each side of thestroller, therefore, there is a foldable four-bar linkage consisting offront leg 112, rear leg 132, support strut 150, and the lower part 204of fold latch 200 (which has a length equal to the distance betweenpivot point 206 and pivot axis 208).

Each side of child tray 300 is supported on another foldable four-barlinkage. Two of the links are the front leg 112 and the rear leg 132.The third link is a tube 103 (see FIGS. 1, 2) that is pivoted relativeto the front leg assembly at the location of intermediate cross-tube116. FIG. 15 shows this arrangement at the right side of the stroller(the left side is similar). A plastic fairing 350 is attached to tube103 and has an arcuate notch 352 that receives intermediate cross-tube116, whereby the fairing 350 together with the tube 108 can pivot aboutcross-tube 116. The fourth link is a curved flat link 107 (see FIG. 4)that is pivoted at its lower end to rear leg 132 at rivet point 105, andat its upper end to the lower end of tube 103, at hole 103 a (FIG. 15).

The side elevational view of FIG. 4 best illustrates the frame geometryin the fully open position. Folding of the stroller is progressivelyillustrated in the side elevational views of FIGS. 11-13. (In all ofthese figures the canopy bars have been removed for the sake ofclarity.) When the fold latches 200 are released and the handle 180 isrotated upwardly and forwardly (FIG. 11), the tops of the support struts150 are rotated to the rear. This allows the frame to collapse (FIG. 12)all the way to a folded position (FIG. 13) in which the front legassembly 110 nests on the rear leg assembly 130, and the handle assembly180 nests on the front leg assembly. The child tray 300 rotates to therear and nests between the push arms 184. The basket frame 102 nestsbetween the front and the rear leg assemblies.

Folding is simple and easy because the entire stroller drops to theground without the user having to control the weight of the stroller asit folds. Folding is accomplished with all four wheels on the ground andthe rear legs remaining at close to their initial shallow angle. Unlikesome prior art strollers, the seat 10 in the present stroller does notmake contact with the ground as the stroller is folded. And it caneasily be stood upright for compact vertical storage, resting on therear wheels 136 and lower latch parts 204 (see FIG. 14).

Fold Latches

FIGS. 7-10 show details of the fold latches 200 and their engagementwith the front legs 112 and the push arms 184. The upper and lower latchparts 202, 204 are molded of plastic material, preferably nylon 6. Oneend of the upper latch part 202 is a pivot portion 210 with a rivet hole212 aligned with pivot axis 208. Pivot portion 210 fits between a pairof spaced flanges 205 on lower latch part 204. Flanges 205 have alignedrivet holes 207 that are also aligned with pivot axis 208.

Opposite pivot portion 210 is an anchor portion 214 having a socket 216that generally closely conforms to the profile of the upper end 113 offront leg 112. As mentioned previously, the upper end of the front legnecks down so that it fits within the fold latch. FIG. 10 schematicallyillustrates the necked-down or “crushed” cross-section 115 of the upperend 113 of the front leg, in which a longitudinal crease 119 effectivelyfolds the lower portion of the tube up into itself. Thus socket 216narrows from an entry 218 with an oval cross-section that matches thefull oval cross-section of the front leg, to a domed and flat-bottomedcross-section 220. A rivet hole 117 near the tip of the front leg 112receives the rivet 222 that joins the upper and lower latch partstogether through holes 205, 212 and anchors the front leg in the socket216.

Beneath the entry 218 of socket 216 is a depending receiver 222 having amouth 224 with a lip 226. The lip and the mouth are adapted to cooperatewith a retractable hollow plunger 230 housed in lower latch part 204.The plunger preferably is molded of acetal resin, i.e.,polyoxymethylene, or “POM.” It is virtually completely shrouded by thelatch parts 202, 204 so as to be protected from dust and dirt.

The plunger 230 slides within a cavity 240, guided by the end of thepush arm 184 that it surrounds. The push arm is anchored to lower latchpart 204 by a rivet 242 through hole 185 (the same rivet that pivotallyconnects the upper end 152 of support strut 150 at pivot point 206).Rivet 242 passes through a pair of elongated slots 232 in the sides ofplunger 230, serving to guide and limit movement of the plunger. Ahelical spring 244, captured between the proximal end 234 of plunger 230and a shoulder 246 in cavity 240, biases the plunger outwardly, towardthe receiver 222.

The distal end 235 of the plunger 230 has a sloped face 236 with a hole238 and a notched cable-and-ball anchoring recess 239. An actuatingcable 248 extends through the handle from rotatable grip 186, as notedabove. The cable extends through the interior of plunger 230 and throughhole 238, and has a ball end 250 anchored in recess 239. FIG. 9 showsthe locked position of the fold latch, with the distal end of plunger230 retained in mouth 224. When the grip 186 is rotated, cable 248retracts plunger 230 until its distal end clears lip 226 (i.e., to thedashed line position shown in FIG. 9). The handle 180, which includespush arm 184, then can be rotated counterclockwise as seen in FIG. 9,along with lower latch part 204, to fold the stroller. When the strolleris stored on end (see FIG. 14), the plunger is in contact with theground but is pushed inwardly. The lower latch part 204 and the wheels136 thus bear virtually all the weight of the stroller in this position.

When the stroller is to be opened from the folded position, push arm 184is rotated clockwise. When the distal end 235 of plunger 230 meets lip226, its sloped face 236 acts as a ramp to push the plunger further intothe cavity 240, against the force of spring 244, as the push arm isrotated. When the very tip of the plunger clears the lip 226, the springforces the plunger into the mouth 224 to lock the frame in the openposition.

Child Tray

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a molded plastic child tray 300 is pivotallyattached at its right side (on the left as viewed in these two figures)to a longitudinal tubular member 108 (part of right-hand tube 103). Tray300 thus can be rotated about a fore-and-aft axis so that it can bepivoted upwardly for easier access to the seat 10. The dashed lines inFIG. 1 show this “open” tray position. The sectional view of FIG. 15shows this pivoting connection. Aligned apertures in the rear wall 302of the tray and in depending webs 303, 304 surround member 108. A washer305 also surrounds member 108, just inside rear wall 302, and preferablyis secured to rear wall 302. A spring-loaded snap button 306 carried bymember 108 retains the tray in position on the member If the tray is tobe removed, snap button 306 is depressed to allow the tray to be slidoff member 108.

The left side of the child tray 300 is releasably latched to a similarlongitudinal tubular member 109 (part of left-hand tube 103) at theother side of the stroller. FIG. 16 shows in elevation the triggerportion 312 of the tray latch. FIG. 17 is a longitudinal sectional viewthrough the tray 300 immediately adjacent to the tray latch, and showsthat the trigger portion is part of a latch slide 310 carried by thetray and movable fore-and-aft relative thereto.

FIG. 18 is a longitudinal sectional view through the center of the latchslide and the surrounding tray structure. The slide 310 has an upwardlyopen housing 314 defining an inner cavity 315. The bottom wall 316 ofthe housing has two longitudinally spaced mounting slots 318. Hollowstuds 320 on the underside of the tray are similarly spaced apart, andproject into the cavity 315. Pan-head mounting screws 322 pass throughslots 318 to slidably secure the latch slide to studs 320. A coil spring324 in cavity 315 engages stud 320 and the rear end of housing 314 tobias the latch slide 310 rearwardly (to the right as seen in FIG. 18). Aforward pull on trigger 312 (to the left in FIG. 18) moves the latchslide against the pressure exerted by the spring 324.

A plastic collar 330 is riveted at 332 to frame-mounted member 109.Collar 330 has two pairs of ramped studs 334 on opposite sides of thecollar (only one pair is seen in FIG. 18; the other pair isdiametrically opposed to the illustrated pair). The rear portion oflatch slide 310 has a downwardly open socket 340 that embraces collar330. FIG. 19 is a longitudinal sectional view through the right pair oframped studs 334 at the surface of collar 330. This figure shows thatsocket 340 has two opposed pairs of ramped notches 344 that mate withramped studs 334.

The solid outline of latch slide 310 in FIG. 19 shows the slide in theunlatched (trigger-pulled) position, which allows the left side of thetray 300 to be raised away from frame-mounted member 109. The dashedoutline of latch slide 310 shows the slide in the trigger-releasedposition. When the tray is down, as shown in this figure, the notches344 engage the studs 334. When the tray is lowered for latching from theopen position with the trigger released, the ramps 346 on the slide 310ride over the ramps 335 on the studs 334, causing the slide 310 to moveforwardly (to the left as seen in FIG. 19) until they clear the studs,whereupon the slide 310 snaps rearwardly (to the right) under springpressure to close the latch. Thus, simply pressing down on the tray canclose the latch.

Car Seat Adapter

One of the support struts 150 is provided with a mechanism 400 foranchoring a child vehicle safety seat, particularly an infant seat, inposition on the stroller seat 10 Referring to FIGS. 20 and 21, anchoringmechanism 400 comprises a molded plastic end cap 402 that fits oversupport strut tube 150 and has a rivet hole 404 through which mountingrivet 242 (FIG. 5) passes to pivotally attach support strut 150 to latchpart 204. Cap 402 also has an internal sleeve 406 with a central bore408 that receives a flexible tether 410. Sleeve 406 also has a seat 412at its inner (distal) end surrounding the bore 408. The inner end oftether 410 has a stop plug 414 with a seat 416. A helical compressionspring 418 surrounds tether 410 and is captured between seats 412 and416, thus biasing the tether to the retracted position.

The outer end of tether 4 l 0 has an enlarged head or knob 420. The knobrests atop end cap 402 when the tether is retracted. Knob 420 is adaptedto engage a vehicle safety seat placed on stroller seat 10. It isoptionally configured with an angled gusset 422 which is adapted to fitinto the standard seat belt slot of the car seat so as to enhanceengagement with the car seat. The surface of the knob 420 preferably ismade of a non-slip material, such as TPE, to enhance frictionalengagement with the car seat. The knob also may be provided with achamfer 424 to facilitate grasping the knob.

FIGS. 22-25 sequentially illustrate how a car seat C with seat beltslots S is anchored in the stroller. FIG. 22 shows the knob 420 (in aslightly modified form) in its retracted position atop cap 402. FIG. 23shows the knob 420 raised slightly (the user's hand, which would begrasping knob 420, is omitted for the sake of clarity). FIG. 24 showsthe tether 410 extended to the point where it passes through the seatbelt slot S, the knob 420 engaging the inside surface of the car seatadjacent the seat belt slot S. FIG. 25 is a view of the same engagementfrom the opposite side of the car seat.

The arrangement described above can accommodate a wide variety of childseats that have typical seat belt slots at their sides. Tether 410preferably is in the form of a plastic cable. However, the tether canalso be a wire cable or a cord made of a suitable material, such asnylon. Instead of using a compression spring, an extension spring may beused, with the inner end of the spring anchored within the support tube150. Instead of using a spring surrounding an inelastic cable, thetether can take the simpler form of an elastic cord (e.g., a “bungee”cord), the inner end of which is anchored within the support tube 150,e.g., to the inner end of an elongated sleeve 406. Although only oneanchoring mechanism is needed, it is possible to provide an anchoringmechanism in each support strut 150 for tethering both sides of thechild seat to the stroller.

Accessory Bridge

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the gap between the handgrip portion 182 ofhandle 180 and parent console 30 is filled by a useful accessory bridge500, which can house a cell phone, a radio, keys, facial tissues, babywipes, and/or other items. The accessory bridge is attached to both thehandgrip portion 182 and the top of parent console 30. Accessory bridge500 consists of two molded plastic parts: a housing 510 (FIG. 26), and astorage compartment 530 (FIG. 27). These two parts mate as shown in FIG.28.

Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, storage compartment 530 is in the form ofa generally rectangular, open-top, tilt-out bin having a curved bottomwall 532, a front wall 534, a rear wall 536 and side walls 538. A handlein the form of a pull tab 540 projects rearwardly from the upper edge ofrear wall 536. The top edge of pull tab 540 has a protrusion 548 thatmates with a portion of housing 510, as described below. Two hinges 542project forwardly from the bottom of front wall 534. Each hinge hasnotches 544 that snap-fit over a hinge pin in housing 510, as describedbelow. A transparent oval window 546 optionally may be provided in frontwall 534.

Referring to FIG. 26, housing 510 comprises a generally oval-shaped bodyportion 512 having a pair of arms with hooks 514 that snap over thehandgrip portion 182 of handle 180, and a pair of T-shaped tabs 516 thatengage mating slots 36 in parent console 30 (see FIG. 29). Installationof the housing on the stroller involves first engaging tabs 516 withslots 36, and then snapping hooks 514 over fixed collars 183 on handgripportion 182. The rear face of body portion 510 has a rectangular opening518 (see FIG. 3) in which the front portion of storage compartment 530fits, and an overhang 520 which overlies the upper end of the storagecompartment when closed. Hinge pins 522 are formed in through-notches524 at the lower portion of the front face of the storage compartment.The front face may also have an oval opening 526 through which thecontents in storage compartment 530 may be viewed. Alternatively, a packof tissues or baby wipes may be installed in the housing 5 10 so thatthe tissues or baby wipes can be dispensed through opening 526.

The two parts of accessory bridge 500 are assembled as follows. Thelower end of storage compartment 530 is inserted into the opening 518 inthe rear of housing 510 such that the hinges 542 project through notches524 and snap over hinge pins 522 (see FIG. 28). Then the upper portionof storage compartment 530 is swung forwardly to its closed position,with the overhang 520 overlying its upper end. The storage compartment530 is held in the closed positioned by at least one protrusion (notshown) on the underside of overhang 520 that resiliently mates withprotrusion 548 on the storage compartment, thus acting as a latch. Inthe closed position there is sufficient space between the front wall 534of storage compartment 530 and the opening 526 in housing 510 toaccommodate a flat pack of tissues or baby wipes, as previouslydescribed.

The shape of the housing 510 is not limited to an oval. A housing of anyshape and size that would fit in the space above the parent console 30would be satisfactory from a utilitarian standpoint. Similarly, theopening 526 in the housing 510 and the window 546 in the storagecompartment 530 can take any shape. Additional compartments, slots orother discrete storage areas could be included in either the housing 510or the storage compartment 530. Instead of being attached to thehandgrip portion 182, the accessory bridge could be configured to attachto other portions of the handle 180. While molded plastic parts arepreferred, the accessory bridge could be constructed of a metalframework that attaches to the handgrip and the parent console and issurrounded by soft storage pouches made of fabric or vinyl.Alternatively the accessory bridge could be constructed entirely of softmaterial and have straps that attach to the handgrip and the parentconsole.

The stroller disclosed herein thus provides enhanced utility andadvantages as compared to those of the prior art.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement ofcomponents of the preferred embodiment described herein and illustratedin the drawing figures. Those skilled in the art will recognize thatvarious modifications can be made without departing from the scope ofthe invention, which is defined by the appended claims.

1. A collapsible stroller having a frame assembly reconfigurable betweenan in-use configuration and a collapsed configuration, the frameassembly comprising: a fold latch on a side of the frame assembly andhaving two latch parts pivotally coupled to one another; a plungerslidable within a cavity in one of the latch parts and having an endextendable from the cavity; a receiver in the other of the latch partspositioned to receive the plunger in the in- use configuration; a pusharm having a lower end connected to the one latch part, the push armextending upward and rearward to a handle; a front leg having a lowerend and extending upward and rearward to an upper end that is connectedto the other of the latch parts; and a support strut having an upper endpivotally coupled to the one latch part at a pivot defining a pivotaxis, the plunger having an elongate slot aligned with the pivot axissuch that the pivot extends through the slot.
 2. A collapsible strolleraccording to claim 1, wherein the plunger is hollow and includes a pairof spaced apart slots each aligned with the pivot axis such that thepivot extends through both of the slots.
 3. A collapsible strolleraccording to claim 1, wherein the plunger is longitudinally aligned withthe push arm and is slidable parallel to an axis of the push arm.
 4. Acollapsible stroller according to claim 1, wherein the pivot is a rivetextending through an upper end of the support strut, the plunger slot,and a part of the one latch part.
 5. A collapsible stroller according toclaim 1, further comprising: a release mechanism carried on the handleof the stroller frame, the release mechanism movable to release theplunger from the receiver such that the push arm and the one latch partcan be pivoted relative to the front leg and the other latch part fromthe in-use configuration to the collapsed configuration.
 6. Acollapsible stroller according to claim 1, wherein the receivercomprises a mouth surrounded by a lip.
 7. A collapsible stroller with astroller frame and a latch assembly comprising: a first latch part; apush arm of the stroller frame, the push arm having a lower endconnected to the first latch part; a second latch part pivotallyconnected to the first latch part; a front leg of the stroller frame,the front leg having an upper end connected to the second latch part; areceiver recessed into the second latch part; an elongate plungerslidably carried by the first latch part and having an end extendableinto the receiver, the plunger having a slot arranged longitudinallyalong the plunger; and a support strut of the stroller frame, thesupport strut having an upper end pivotally coupled to the latchassembly at a pivot defining a pivot axis, the slot in the plungeraligned with the pivot axis and the pivot extending through the slot. 8.A collapsible stroller according to claim 7, wherein the plunger ishollow and includes a pair of spaced apart slots each aligned with thepivot axis such that the pivot extends through both of the slots.
 9. Acollapsible stroller according to claim 7, wherein the plunger islongitudinally aligned with the push arm and is slidable parallel to anaxis of the push arm.
 10. A collapsible stroller according to claim 7,wherein the pivot is a rivet extending through the upper end of thesupport strut, the slot, and a part of the first latch part.
 11. Acollapsible stroller according to claim 7, wherein the first latch partis a lower latch part and the second latch part is an upper latch part,wherein the upper and lower latch parts are coupled to one another at asecond pivot, and wherein the upper latch part overlies the lower latchpart with the end of the plunger within the receiver.
 12. A collapsiblestroller according to claim 7, wherein the first and second latch partsare pivotally coupled to one another at a second pivot spaced from thepivot of the support strut.
 13. A collapsible stroller frame with twospaced apart frame sides and movable between a collapsed configurationand an in-use configuration, each frame side comprising: a lower latchpart connected to an end of a first frame part; an upper latch partconnected to an end of a second frame part and pivotally connected tothe lower latch part; a plunger carried on one of the upper and lowerlatch parts and having an end movably extending from the one latch part;a receiver carried on the other of the upper and lower latch parts, theend of the plunger sized to seat within the receiver with the strollerframe in the in-use configuration; a pivotable frame part other than thefirst and second frame parts connected by a pivot to the one latch part;and a slot formed longitudinally along the plunger, the pivot extendingthrough the slot.
 14. A collapsible stroller frame according to claim13, wherein the upper latch part overlies the lower latch part in thein-use configuration and underlies the lower latch part in the collapsedconfiguration, and wherein the upper and lower latch parts are pivotallyconnected to one another at a second pivot spaced from the pivot of thepivotable frame part.
 15. A collapsible stroller frame according toclaim 13, wherein the first frame part is a push arm with an upper endconnected to a handle and the lower end connected to the lower latchpart, and wherein the second frame part is a front leg having the upperend connected to the upper latch part.
 16. A collapsible stroller frameaccording to claim 13, wherein the pivotable frame part is a supportstrut with an upper end pivotally coupled to the one latch part.
 17. Acollapsible stroller frame according to claim 16, wherein the one latchpart is the lower latch part.
 18. A collapsible stroller frame accordingto claim 13, wherein the plunger is hollow and includes a pair of spacedapart slots each aligned with the pivot axis such that the pivot extendsthrough both of the slots.
 19. A collapsible stroller frame according toclaim 13, wherein the plunger is longitudinally aligned with the firstframe part and is slidable parallel to an axis of the first frame part.20. A collapsible stroller frame according to claim 19, wherein thefirst frame part is a push arm having an upper end connected to a handleof the collapsible stroller frame.